Method of printing



Aug. 30, 1932. T N

METHOD OF PRINTING Original Filed May 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Au 30, 1932. w P, BRM N 1,874,167

METHOD OF PRINTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May '7, 1930 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 rs] PATENT orric WILLIAM PENN BRINTON, or :eILLEY BARK, PENNSYLVANIA, Assre oa 'ro ARM;

STRONG CORK COMPANY, OF LANGAST PENNSYLVANIA ER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPGRATIGN OF METHOD or :enIN'rINe Original application filed ma 7, 1930, Serial No. 450,434. Divided and this application filed January 22',

1932. 1 Serial This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 450,434, filed May 7, 1930.

This invention relates to a method of printing and is herein particularly described as applied to the manufacture of printed floor coverings.

In the printing of floor coverings by the well-known block-printing machine, the printing medium employed is a fluid paint which is supplied to blocks on tl e printing heads by means of a roll lying in a paint trough or color box, which color boX is moved back and forth under the printing nead between the downward printing movements thereof.

It is frequently desirable, where certain patterns are being printed, to provide on a single printing head a number of relatively movable printing blocks, which bloclrs may be separately employed for printing different parts of the design. Also, in certain cases it may be desirable to print with two or more of the blocks together at one point of the design and to move one or more of such blocks to a non-printing position at another part of the design. A mechanism for doing this is described and claimed in Patent No. 1,7 37 ,817 to Harry A. Webster dated December 3, 1929.

When using sectional blocks difiiculty is sometimes encountered in that on occasion a line of demarcation between the various printing areas, as determined by different block sections, is noticeable. This is objectionable because it allows the base material to show through in a distinct line which some times runs the entire length of the pattern. This is so because it is generally necessary to space the blocks apart slightly to permit reciprocation thereof independently of one another.

I have found that this difficulty can be overcome by brushing the wet color at the joining line. This brushing tends to blend the two printed areas together and to overcome the line on the product.

It is desirable that the brush bear against the material very lightly, as otherwise the brush tends to collect a pool of paint in front of it. In addition to this, heavy pressure by the brush results in the bristles of the brush changing their angularity under certain conditions, leaving concentrated bodies of paint on the face of the product. If the brush touches only very lightly, it is sufficient to cause blending or merging of the wet fluid forming the two printed areas but without any gathering together of the paint into concentrated pools.

In a block printing machine the material moves forward in a step-by-step manner, but

I have found that in certain cases, at least, it 1s possible to so arrange the brush that at times there is no relative movement between it and the material, despite which fact it is possible to obtain the desired amount of brushing. In other cases it is important that the brush always be in motion relative to the material, and this invention is the subject matter of the copending application of Fred G. Rottmund, Serial No. 442,140, filed April 7, 1930. o

For the purposes of the present inventionI have found that the brush or brushes employed may very well be carried by the color box. Preferably the brush is adjustably mounted on such color ,boX so that the degree of pressure with which it bears on the material -may be closely adjusted. Despite the fact that the color box moves back and forth, it is possible, by properly adjusting the brush, to prevent the bristles thereof from snapping from one angular position to a reverse position and depositing pools of paint on the material.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the present preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of a block printing machine showing two heads thereon and one color box with carrying brushes;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating sectional blocks such as may be employed on the printing heads of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one of the color boxes having'brushes applied thereto;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the Figure 1 comprises a bed 2 over which the fabric is moved in a step-by-step manner by pin bands 3, as is well known in the art. Guides at on the bed carry vertically reciprocable slides 5 on which the printing heads 6 are mounted. I have indicated in Figure 1 a part of the mechanism for actuating the sectional blocks as described in said Webster patent above referred to. The heads are reciprocated by cams 7 whereby the printing blocks, indicated in Figure 2 as 860 to 8; inclusive, are moved up and down to receive paint and print on the material going through the machine. i As described in Patent 1,737,817, 'abov referred to, the sectional block actuating mechanism is such as to lower desired sections into paint receiving and printing position. As shown in Figure 2, a slight clearance is allowed between the blocks so as to permit of this movement.

Color boxes 9 of the usual type are emlo ed the several color boxes bein con- 7 b nected by links 10 so that they-may all be reciprocated in the usual fashion. The color box 9 runs on flanged wheels 11 having gear teeth 12 operating in racks 13 on the bed 2. As the color box is reciprocated the paint roll 14: is turned through gearing 15 making operative connection with the rack 13, so that a film of paint is laid over the printing surface of such blocks as are in lowered position when the color box passes under its printing head.

When the head '6 is lowered to print on the material, two adjacent blocks, for example, the blocks and 861, may be in printing position. They'will apply the paint to the material but by reason of the clearance shown in Figure 2, there will be a clear line of division between the two printed areas. The two areas are merged or blended by means of brushes 16 carried on thecolor box 9. Each brush is secured by abolt 17 to a bracket 18 whereby the vertical position of the brush may be adjusted. It will be under stood that the paint employed is fluid in character and may therefore be blended to.- gether'without the application of marked pressure by the brushes. It is preferred that the brushes touch the paint very lightly, thus insuring that the bristles will extend substantially perpendicularly at all times. This eliminates any tendency to brush away the paint and collect it into pools.

The invention has been specifically described as applied to the manufacture of floor coverings by a blockprinting machine where in sectional heads are employed. It will be understood, however, that the invention in its broader aspects is not thus limited, but may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: V 1. In the method of printing, the steps consisting in printing over areas slde and brushing the material wet paint or the like, and brushing the wet surface adjacent the line of as to join the areas. a

8. In the method of printing, the stepsconlying side by longitudinally along the line of juncturewhile leaving juncture only so the remainder of the areas unbrushed.

4:. In the method'of printing, the steps consisting in applying a fluid paint over adjacent areas, and while the paint is still wet brushing adjacent the line of juncture only so as to cause the fluid paint in the two areas to join.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM PENN BRINTQN. 

